The University of Notre Dame Australia

Program

The Doctor of Medicine (MD) is a 4-year postgraduate program open to students from a wide range of undergraduate degrees.

The aim of the program is to produce doctors who are excellent clinicians who are able to practice in a variety of clinical settings. Graduates will be committed to lifelong learning through reflective practice, engagement in research, and demonstration in highly developed clinical skills and judgment in the context of evidence-based practice.

Ethical issues in professional life underpin the Notre Dame MD program as well as the principles of patient-centred care and professional medical practice. Health and illness across a range of populations will be explored throughout the program with an aim to address disparities in health and health care delivery.

Doctor of Medicine in Fremantle, Western Australia
As the only medical degree offered by a Catholic university in Australia, this program gives you the opportunity to complement your technical skills and medical knowledge with a thorough grounding in ethics. This program also examines the special health needs of Indigenous people and rural communities in Western Australia.

The first 2 years of your degree are underpinned by problem-based learning (PBL) and include the study of basic clinical sciences, population and preventive health, bioethics, therapeutics, and more.

Your third and fourth years are clinically based and present the opportunity to explore the different disciplines of medicine such as pediatrics and surgery. You are required to complete 8- to 9-week discipline-based rotations in a clinical setting, and further develop your research skills with a translational research project based in the health sector. There are rural/remote training opportunities, and for some students, placement with the Rural Clinical School in third year.

Doctor of Medicine in Sydney, New South Wales
The first and second years of your studies provide a solid foundation for your medical degree. You will have the opportunity to undertake problem-based learning tutorials conducted by medically qualified tutors, clinical and communication skills sessions, workshops, clinical debriefing tutorials, and site visits. In second year, you will begin to work on a research-based or professionally focused project in one of 10 themes such as Clinical Science, Bioethics, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health, Rural Medicine, or Medical Leadership and Health Policy.

In third year, you will undertake a series of clinical placements in Sydney, Melbourne, Lithgow, Wagga Wagga, or Ballarat. By actively participating in hospitals and community settings, you will engage with patients, their families, and the healthcare professionals caring for them. This strong focus on experiential learning is further complemented by a series of weekly Back-to-Base Days in which you will return to your principal clinical school for short case tutorials, grand rounds, journal club sessions, and expert guest lectures.

Your fourth and final year will see you complete further clinical placements in the Sydney, Melbourne, or Rural Clinical Schools. You will explore a range of disciplines in a range of health settings, as well as present your project for examination in the Applied Research Project course of study. Following the fourth year end-of-year examinations, you will commence a 4-week elective learning period where you can extend your medical knowledge in an area of personal interest.